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Baby fussy during feedings

Hi, I'm new here! I have a DD who will be 3 weeks tomorrow. So far, bf has been going pretty well! She's got a great latch, has regained her birth weight plus 1 whole pound at 2 weeks, and she has plenty of dirty and wet diapers (never thought I'd be so excited about that!).

The issue is this though...just recently she has started getting fussy during feedings. About 5 minutes into a feeding she will start to move around a lot. She will arch her back and sometimes even cry and she will push her face into and then away from my breast. She will ultimately unlatch and latch several times. I try to burp her when she unlatches (even though it's a lot!) and nothing much really ever happens. And she wants to keep feeding it seems like, so I let her keep feeding with the same results! She used to just suck and swallow until she got sleepy and wouldn't awaken to my torments (touching her face / feet / etc.). But now it's a new story. Not sure if it's related...but recently she has started spitting up a lot too...?!

So, I'm wondering if it's tummy troubles, acid reflux, a strong let-down...or something else and what I can do about it...or if maybe it's just normal. I almost dread feedings because I feel like DD is in pain and unhappy. Any ideas! Thanks!

Re: Baby fussy during feedings

hi!

my first thought was that there is a growth spurt at 3 wks. the arching can be a sign of reflux, my son did not have that so i cannot offer much advice but maybe these links will give you some info before others add on.

is she choking on the milk or is your milk spraying when she pops off?

Re: Baby fussy during feedings

Originally Posted by @llli*mtmama

hi!

my first thought was that there is a growth spurt at 3 wks. the arching can be a sign of reflux, my son did not have that so i cannot offer much advice but maybe these links will give you some info before others add on.

is she choking on the milk or is your milk spraying when she pops off?

She's not normally choking when she unlatches. Every once in a while she will be, or I will be dripping milk when she unlatches, but not lately since this new thing has started.

The KellyMom website did help though! I think it might be a strong let-down at first and then later on she's upset that she's not getting the milk that fast! I might have an impatient little one on my hands! But as sure as I think this is it things will change!

Re: Baby fussy during feedings

I had some of this too with my DD when she was around 7 weeks. I talked to a LC and she said it could be that baby doesn't like the taste of the milk b/c of something I ate. Strong flavors like seafood (tuna/salmon especially), onion, garlic, strong spices, etc. Baby wants to eat but doesn't like the taste so she wiggles/fusses/cries, etc. Also could be something in your diet that's giving her gas or hurting her tummy. We also discovered a dairy sensitivity at about 10 weeks old & cutting dairy from my diet seems to have helped. It can't hurt to try!

Re: Baby fussy during feedings

ive had my ds do the EXACT same thing, though it started much later at 6 weeks. ive often scratched my head about why he does this.. and have realised it's because the supply is either too fast or too slow. try switching breasts when she begins to fuss - maybe the other side would suit her better at that moment.. ive just learnt to bear it and let him latch on and off. eventually they get used to the fast supply, or learn to get off the breast if the supply is too slow (that's my limited experience!).

Re: Baby fussy during feedings

Thanks all - these are some great ideas! She's getting a little better...I think it's an oversupply / overactive let down thing...maybe! But maybe she's getting used to it, or I'm getting used to it, or both!

Re: Baby fussy during feedings

Hi ladies, I am so happy to read I am not the only one having this same problem. I actually called the hospital lactation consult to ask for advice about the fast let down. Her advice to me was to lay down when I start the feeding because gravity would slow the left down and baby will not choke. After about two mins or when my son unlatches because milk is not coming out as fast I sit up and readjust his position on the breast. When I was laying flat throughout the whole fed he was very fussy, unlatching and relatching, moving all around and even crying. I felt so sad but was so glad when my husband suggested to sit up and reposition him. He is back to a happy sons breast feeding

Re: Baby fussy during feedings

I'm having similar issues. I am nursing my 12 day old son (yay!) and he worked so hard to get my milk to come in, constantly wanting to nurse in his first few days. Well, my milk came in big time! During those days we had a terrific latch and he would stay on the breast. Now that I am very full with milk, he pulls off constantly, but is dragging out his nursing session by hours, not just minutes because he still makes every indication that he is still hungry. I'm assuming that I now have over supply, but I don't know what to do to ease the situation. I'm trying desperately not to express, because I know the more I remove from my breasts, the more I make. It's making for some very long, very frustrating nights for both him and me. How do I decrease my milk without actually removing it?

I'm Terri, a Canadian living in England.

Married my soul mate in September, 2008 and share the same wedding anniversary as my parents and grandparents.